Dana Eastes Petri

Dana Webster Eastes was born on December 10, 1921 to Hattie Jane Perry and Winfield Kirkpatrick Eastes in Athens, Texas. She graduated from Brownsboro High School in Brownsboro, Texas in 1939 and studied nursing at the Jefferson Davis Hospital School of Nursing, 1940-1943.

Dana’s first job as an RN was private duty with Mr. Jessie Jones, then the Secretary of Commerce for President Roosevelt. His doctor was Dr. E.W. Bertner and Dr. Bertner encouraged Dana to go to Hermann Hospital to work in the Operating Rooms. That was the start to Dana’s career in Operating Room Nursing. In 1945, Dana went to work for Dr. Joe R. Gandy (general surgeon) as a scrub nurse and office manager. In 1953, Dana joined the Army Nurse Corp and spent 16 months in Korea. She was assigned to a Mash Unit.

After discharge from the military, Dana came back to Houston to complete her degree in Business Administration at the University of Houston. She graduated with honors and was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Iota Epsilon, and Phi Theta Kappa. Later she was honored as a member of the Sigma Theta Tau, which is an honorary Nursing Society. This opened the door for her to accept a position as the operating room supervisor at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas on January 2, 1962. Under her direction in this position and later as Director of the Operating Rooms, the available operating rooms increased substantially. During her time as OR Director, she provided oversight for the building of the Fondren Operating Rooms, the Neurosensory Operating Rooms, and the Scurlock Operating Rooms at The Methodist Hospital. She was recognized by her professional organization, the Association of Perioperative Nurses, by receiving the Jerry G. Peers Award for her outstanding service and support of operating room nursing. She retired from The Methodist Hospital in 1990 with a lifetime of experiences that paralleled and supported world reknown surgeons as Michael DeBakey, Alice McPherson, Jimmy Howell, Bobby Alford, and many others.

Dana loved sports and played tennis and bowling. She also loved animals and in 1977 traveled to the Grand Canyon to rescue two canyon donkeys (Daner and Jill). These came back with her to Texas and before long there were 6 that populated her farm. She also loved cats, dogs, pigs and other familiar farm animals.

Dana met Gilbert Kenneth Petri, a manufacturing representative, on a blind date. They married him on December 18, 1971. Together they had a life of love, traveling, and friendships. Her traveling memories of New Zealand seemed to be the most special, as this was with her dear friends, Alice McPherson and her husband. When Gil retired in 1992, she and Gil traveled to Alaska to work on a Wild Animal Research ranch. This was another very special time in her life.

Dana Eastes Petri was raised in the Church. She and Gil remained spiritual throughout their lives. Dana wished to be remembered as honest, fair and kind to others.